Improvement in clamp



N. PErERs. PMOTuUTHoGRAPMER. WASHINGTON. D.

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Leners Paten: No. 96,971, daad November 16, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLAMP.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part or'thesame.

I, VILLIAM SMLER, of Philadelphia, county 0f Philadelphia, State ofPennsylvania, have invented an ImprovedJoistlainp, of which the'following is a speciiication.

Nature and Object of the Invention.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure lis a perspective view of rnyimprovedj'oistclamp; l Figure 2, apian view of the saine; and

Figure 3, an end view.

General Description.

, A (figs. 2 and 3) represents, in dotted lines, a portion of a joist orbeam;

B B', my improved clamp, arranged to be firmly attached t0 the salue;

C C, the flooring-boards; and

a, n. wedge which is driven between the said clamp and boards, for theVpurpose of forcing the latter tightly .together before they are nailedto the joist.

The clamp consists of a solid frame, B, of cast-iron, of the peculiarform shown in theI drawing, and of an arm, B', of wrought-iron, hingedto one end of said frame. by a bolt, c, this arm being furnished withseveral holes f f, through any one of which the pivotingbolt maybeinserted, according as it is necessary to increase or din'iinish thelength of the said arm.

At one end ot' the frame B is an enlargement 0r head, h, the face i ofwhich is inclined at about the iahgle shown in iig.- 2,`so that it maybest adapt itself 'to the form of the wedge a which is driven betweenthe said head and the tlooring-lmards.

A row of teeth, k, extends along one entire edge of the traine B,andbeneath its projecting head h,and to the outer end ot' the arm B' ispivoted a self-adjusting block, l, which hasserrations or teeth, m, onits inner side, corresponding to the teeth k.

'In usingthe above inst|'n1ncnt,the arm B', and projecting portion ot'the head h, rest upon the upper edge ofthe joist, so that the teeth kiidV lm are brought in contact, or nearly so, with the opposite sides ofthe said joists.

The pressure which is exerted against the head h, iu driving a wedgebetween the saine and the flooringboards, has a tendency to force theframe B backward to a slight extent, and laterally toward the joist, andto turn the arui B' inthe direction ofthearrow. This will force theblock l of the said arm more firmly against the joist, and will causeits teeth m, as well as the opposing teeth 7c of the frame, to bite intothe 'opposite sides of the joist, and to tirn'ily hold the clamp.

Ifthe clamp is to be attached 4to a wider or narrower jost than thatshown-in the drawing, the length of the arm B must be increased ordiminished accordingly, its holes f permitting such adj ust-ment.

The block l may be square or of any convenient shape, and may, it'desired, be permanently secured to or form part of the arm B', althoughI prot'er that it should be self-adjusting upon the arm, as described.

To detach the clamp from the joist, it is` only necessary to relieve thepressure againstthe head h, and to then slide the clamp longitudinallyin the direction ofthe arrow 2, until the arm B' has been sufficient-lyturned to permit the withdrawalof the teeth from the opposite side ofthe joist.

The principal advantages of my improved clamp.: vare, that it can bereadily fastened tc and detached from a joist without the aid of screwsor other fastenings, which are expensive and liable'y to get out oforder; also, that it is adapted to joists ot' any width, and that thehead is always presented to the wedge at the saine angle. l

Claims.

1. A juist-clamp, consisting ot' a frame, B, having a head, h, andserratious'or teeth 7.',and of an arm, B', hinged to the said frame, andhaving at its outer end a serrated block, l, all substantially as andfor the purpose described. r

2. The block nuconnected to the frame. B by an adjustable arm, B', forthe purpose set fort-h.

In testimony whereof, I have signed ,my name to this specification, inthe presence of. two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM SAILER.

W'itnesscs J ons WHITE, HARRY SMITH.

